Pune: Five people were allegedly cheated of ₹67 lakh on the promise of getting them jobs in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), officials said on Thursday.
The Sinhagad police have registered a case against six people, including a retired headmaster of a PMC school, for allegedly cheating the victims by promising them posts such as attendants, police guards and supervisors.
The accused have been identified as Sanjay Ananta Bhalerao, a retired PMC school headmaster and resident of Karvenagar, along with Shivanand Balasaheb Patil, Amit Darwatkar, Anand Londhanwar and Amit Suhas Deshpande. The identity of the sixth accused was not immediately available.
A 23-year-old resident of Nandoshi in the Khadakwasla area approached the Sinhagad police and lodged a complaint. According to police, the alleged fraud took place between 2024 and June 2026 at the house of Anand Devaram Dafal in Vadgaon.
The complainant reportedly came into contact with Bhalerao around two years ago. Bhalerao allegedly assured him and four others that he could arrange their appointments in the PMC as attendants, guards and supervisors. The accused allegedly collected a total of ₹67 lakh from the five victims in instalments.
To convince the victims, the accused allegedly provided them with documents bearing PMC seals and purported signatures of officials, including letters for medical examinations. The victims were allegedly taken for medical examinations and subsequently given medical certificates, further strengthening their belief that they had secured municipal jobs.
The accused allegedly later handed over fake appointment orders bearing PMC seals and officials' signatures, along with identity cards. However, when the victims approached the PMC to verify the documents, they discovered that the appointment orders were fake.
The victims then demanded that their money be returned, but the accused allegedly avoided repaying the amount. After learning about other cases involving people allegedly being cheated on the promise of PMC jobs, the complainant approached the Sinhagad Road police and lodged a complaint. Further investigation is underway.
